Frigel extends popular 3PR control technology to portable chillers and other product lines

Portability and connectivity were watchwords at Frigel’s stand at K 2016, which ended its one-week run in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 26. Headquartered in Scandicci, Italy, near Florence, Frigel has been a global supplier of intelligent process cooling technology since the 1960s.

The company’s 3PR controller, which was launched at NPE in 2015 on its Ecodry line of cooling systems, has been extended to its Microgel machine-side combination chillers and temperature control units, Heavygel air-cooled chillers and Aquagel pumping reservoir and filtration components. Frigel is the only company to offer common control capabilities for three different cooling systems, stressed CEO Duccio Dorin. “Since NPE, we have installed more than 100 units worldwide,” he added, attesting to the popularity of its technology and explaining why the company decided to roll it out across other product lines.

Key features of the intelligent process control system include an intuitive, 7-inch full color touchscreen through which users can access data in real time to optimize their equipment and improve productivity, and automatic adjustments that are calculated based on a range of operating parameters. On-board maintenance recommendations, troubleshooting guides and processing history logs contribute to maximizing equipment uptime, according to the company.

3PR technology also enables Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, a first in portable chillers, Dorin added. It allows users to access crucial operating data, including temperature, pressure, flow rate and energy consumption. The latter is a key concern at Frigel, said Dorin, noting that the Ecodry and Microgel lines achieve considerable savings in energy usage. Moreover, the closed-loop Ecodry system can reduce water consumption by as much as 95% compared with traditional open cooling towers, said Dorin.